Post-traumatic cyst-like lesion of cortical bone in children

Paediatric Posttraumatic Cyst-Like Lesions: A Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

“…Paediatric posttraumatic bone cysts are considered to be a quite rare phenomenon, with only around 30 cases reported in medical journals [1,2,7]. They appear in children ranging from 2 to 15 years old and can occur in single form or in multiple lesions.…”

“…Regarding aetiology, the most widely accepted theory is that the lesions develop because of subperiosteal enclosure 3 Case Reports in Orthopedics of intramedullary fat after a fracture [1,[9][10][11]. Specifically in paediatric patients, the firm periosteum remains intact, allowing extravasated blood and fat derived from the fracture site to be encapsulated underneath.…”

“…In the cases presented, multiple cyst-like lesions are found. Cases of either single or multiple lesions have both been reported; this is probably related to the fracture pattern [1,2,7,8]. The cysts are only reported in children, probably because their periosteum is thicker so it has a higher chance of staying intact during trauma.…”

“…Posttraumatic cyst-like lesions in children are quite a rare phenomenon with only approximately 30 cases reported in literature [1][2][3][4][5]. The cystic lesions are usually first spotted on conventional radiographs as nonexpansile, wellcircumscribed lucent lesions in the cortex, no larger than 10 mm [4,6].…”

“…They become radiologically apparent 2-4 months and occur most frequently after greenstick or torus fracture of the distal radius in children [1]. These are benign lesions and should not be confused with more aggressive or expansive lesions such as osteomyelitis or bone tumours [1][2][3][4][5][6]. It is therefore important to be informed about these benign posttraumatic bone cysts to prevent unnecessary further diagnostics or even invasive diagnostic methods.…”